The Boss GT-8 Thread

So it's official...I've sold my GT-8 and it will be gone tomorrow. It's a great unit, but I just don't use it much anymore. I had a lot of success with the unit, so I figured I'd post my positives and negatives here before I let it go.

Positives.

-New Effects. Plain and simple, this unit will give you access to effects combinations and parameter controls that no single pedal can. Like I've said many times before, when you can deliver a tremolo pedal that reacts to where my phaser sweep is, and make the phaser react to how hard I'm strumming the strings, then we'll talk. Until then, the GT-8 is the only unit with this depth of control outside of some of the higher end (RE: Expensive) rack units.

-Great tones. Screw that individual stomps are better myth, this unit is on par with many of the rack processors on the market. The reverbs, delays and other time effects are amazing. I had a lot of time to get to know this unit, and there are many ways to get rid of the digital "yuck" noise that plagues many digital units. As far as how it competes with individual stomps, it all depends on what stomps you're comparing it to. It does the Boss Delay/Chorus/Flanger/Phaser/ETC stuff just as well as the Boss single pedals, and the Compressor is flawless. The Overdrive effects...there are some that just aren't usable, but there are more than enough to give you great overdrive and distortion tones. Set this unit up right and it won't do you wrong.

-Amp Models. This unit isn't just about the amp models, but the amp models are what attracts most new users to multi effects. Simply put, you're not going to get a Marshall stack with this floorboard, but you will get a nice sampling of what those rigs can do. As long as you are honest with yourself and know that this is a modeling processor and not an amp, you can build great guitar tones. You have to change your approach to building guitar tones...cranking settings is the opposite of what you want to do. Keep in mind that the amp models don't have to be used as amp models...I used some of them as overdrive effects to push my Fender Hot Rod a little more. The combined tones give you a lot of color to create with.

-Manual Simplicity. I rarely used multiple patches. I typically had a single patch with all of my effects preset to specific tones, just turned off. By keeping the unit in manual mode, I could switch in and out specific effects as if a pile of single effects were at my feet. For the more complicated switching, hit the control switch and switch patches. It's stupid simple and gives you tons of versatility.

Negatives

-Learning Curve. This unit will take a while to learn. Digital was a new realm for me. I was a tube snob and an analog effects junkie until I saw what this unit could do. But building tones and sculpting effects wasn't as easy as before. I had to relearn how to build sounds with the unit, but the rewards were well worth it. The change in approach has helped me greatly in dialing in tones from tube amps and analog effects as well. Understanding how the sound is generated and what is going on inside of each and every piece of gear is vital, and I didn't really understand a lot of those principals until I got this unit.

-Your Amp Is Still Important. The GT-8 will not make a horrible amp sound good. The tones you eventually hear will depend greatly on what you're pushing this unit through. The GT-8 sounded great with the Hot Rod Deluxe, but I had some problems with my Mesa Roadster. After re-dialing, I recovered and had some great tones, but I flip flopped and learned to love simplicity again. If you don't have the money to buy a decent tube amp, the GT-8 through a keyboard amp or small PA system will give you great tones and a lot of coverage for the money.

-EQ is your friend and your enemy. This unit is very touchy and sensitive to minor EQ changes. Something as simple as turning the tone down on your guitar will make a major change in your sound through the GT-8. Some will like that, I did not. Whenever I wanted to dial down the highs just a bit, turning my tone control from 10 to 9 resulted in mud. Going into the menu and dialing down the same control from within the EQ block resulted in great tones, but if I had to do it in a pinch, it would take around 10 seconds to make the change in the GT-8 as opposed to the <1 second it would take me to knock the tone knob down with my pinky. Keep in mind that this may not be a problem for you depending on what guitar you have.

-Tone Tweaking. If you're a tweak junky and you spend hours just dialing in knobs on your amp, then this unit will be your undoing. There is simply no end. Bad or good, you decide, but I spent so many hours dialing and re-dialing settings because I kept finding so many great new tones that I spent less and less time actually playing. Buying a Mesa Roadster wasn't a good way to help this problem (shoulda bought a Valve Jr...but then I would have spent months tearing it apart and modding it)

In the end, I can't sing the praises of this unit enough. It's worth trying if you're looking for a lot of versatility for the price. If you're looking into getting a GT-8, keep in mind that the price tag is ALWAYS NEGOTIABLE!!! If you ever walk out of Guitar Center with something that you paid sticker price for, you are a fool (some things cannot be negotiated...Mesa is a good example, but always check with other vendors to see what prices they offer). The GT-8 can be had for well under $400...recently, they were on sale at Guitar Center for $200. A friend of mine haggled and got his for around $250. If you walk into Guitar Center with $250 in cash, flash it and they will give the GT-8 to you for that price. If you push it, you can get it for cheaper. The bang for buck value goes up quickly once you get this unit below $340.

Although I will no longer have a GT-8, I have more than enough experience with it. If anyone has any questions about the unit or needs some help dialing in effects or tones, I will be happy to answer. I am hoping that this thread will become the UG haven for GT-8 users who need real help, so try to keep this thread clean of spam and any other unhelpful information.

Great indeed, but how would u compare it with other multieffects processors such as a Line 6 PODXT Live, or Digitech GNX4, or a Zoom G9.2TT, or the Toneworks or w/e one?

My comparisons...

Line6 POD XTL - decent rig for the money, but I feel the GT-8 beats it hands down for effects. As far as amp sims go, the GT-8 has a better ability to clean up and loose that digital rasp that typically plagues amp sims. I could not dial this out of the Line6 no matter what I tried.

DigiTech Anything (except for the older rack processors) - every digitech I've tried sounds like a broken toy. There's just no comparison here.

Zoom G9.2TT - a great unit, but Zoom made the mistake of using lower quality samples. The tube sections don't really do anything, they're just boosters (having a booster in front of a digital effects unit is about the most retarded concept I've ever seen...easily coaxes digital distortion from the first ADAC). The next generation might be worth giving a try.

Toneworks - decent unit and probably the only real contender against the GT-8. The only problem I had with this unit were the dullness of the effects...most of them sounded too dull. Some of the amp models were decent however.

the POD 2.0 os better, but this is still goodthe probelem with line6 tho is who atchally noes wht a true line 6 tone is? they ahvnt for years made an amp which hasnt been completly bassed on the " models" form other amps basicly, its an amp which reacts perfectly to what ever effects u put tho it and changed to the anp that would be eprfect, i wnt o hear a proper line6 amp tho, one with ot all the fancy efefcts and just a pure line6 tone to see what it sounds like,, how about a guitar that doesnt have 20 soudns and just ahs a pure tone, cmon line 6 soudns like ur tryin to just copy eveyrone elses stuff and put it in one unitbtw stomp boxes are harde to use but give u a beta sound that digial ever will when live, but still the digi are vyer vyer good for ease of use

the POD 2.0 os better, but this is still goodthe probelem with line6 tho is who atchally noes wht a true line 6 tone is? they ahvnt for years made an amp which hasnt been completly bassed on the " models" form other amps basicly, its an amp which reacts perfectly to what ever effects u put tho it and changed to the anp that would be eprfect, i wnt o hear a proper line6 amp tho, one with ot all the fancy efefcts and just a pure line6 tone to see what it sounds like,, how about a guitar that doesnt have 20 soudns and just ahs a pure tone, cmon line 6 soudns like ur tryin to just copy eveyrone elses stuff and put it in one unitbtw stomp boxes are harde to use but give u a beta sound that digial ever will when live, but still the digi are vyer vyer good for ease of use

Reading your post was the most painful thing I've done in the last month

Line 6 does have it's own tones. They have original models like Insane etc

Not as such, no. You're talking about EQ curves, not true tonal response. I'm an advocate of digital technology and feel it has it's place in all music, but I for sure know that there is no such thing as "Line6 tone". Digital is a different beast. It allows you to create brand new, vastly different tones from scratch. With the GT-8, I could create completely different amplifier and effects sounds just by building my own custom models based on several parameters from other amp models. The options are nearly endless, but I would never call it "GT-8 tone" because it's something that's not unique to the GT-8. It's unique to the user, which is a better option any day. Back to the EQ curve concept...it would be a unique Line6 tone if that EQ curve couldn't be replicated anywhere else. Since that's not the case, I wouldn't call the Insane model a unique Line6 tone.

The only thing I can say from my point of view is this. The GT-8 is a very advanced piece of gear. I don't care what anyone else says, amp models aside, the effects and range of this unit kills any competition hands down. Even against rack units like the G-Major, I feel that the GT-8 not only competes well in the quality department, it has far more range than the G-Major. Here's something that many forget...YOU DON'T HAVE TO TURN ON THE AMP MODELS!! As a stand alone multi-effect processor (which isn't evil...just about every studio session guy, sideman and even pro solo artists like Petrucci and Vai use them) it's a great unit. Factor in the fact that you can pick one of these up for around $200 new (haggle haggle haggle) you can't beat it. BUT...like I said, it depends on your willingness to learn the unit and take the time to set it up properly. I dialed mine in to work with the Mesa. It was the most transparent effect processor I've ever used. Using it in the effects loop, without any effects turned on on the GT-8, I could activate and then hard bypass the effects loop and there was no difference in the tone. That's when you know you've hit the sweet spot. Every unit requires this set up process, even the most expensive Eventide processors.

It's not easy, but if you put some effort into it, you'll reap many benefits.

Second, Can i conect the thing to a pc? I know it has midi and all that crap....but does it have some sort of software to play around with?

You can...

For recording, you can use the headphone output to connect to the mic input on any sound card. The sound will be a bit dirty though. You also have the option to go digital and use the coax output into the line input on your computer as well. You will need to set your levels so you don't distort the digital input on the PC.

For editing and patch utilities, you can get a usb/midi adapter. You will need an editor program. There is no editor program from Boss that works with the GT-8, so you'll have to use one of the community created editors. I would recommend Mr. Sleepy's editor (check out bossgtcentral.com for more details).

Quick question... if you bypass the amp models and just add effects to the tone already on your amp which is on overdrive and save it, can you save another setting on the pedal which makes your amp completely clean? Basically you'd be treating your Boss GT8 like a footswitch that changes channels.Thanks.

I am abit confused about the "effect-before-another-effect" story...Wah after delay...etc...

can someone enlighten me a bit?

Basically, you can re-arrange the effects in any order you choose. For instance, instead of being locked into a static "wah-distortion-delay-chorus" order, you could actually move it around and make it "distortion-chorus-delay-wah". Sometimes the result is a completely unique sound that would not be possible, even with all of the effects one the same settings. It's a basic concept to keep in mind when you're building tones, with or without a digital processor. Even with singles, you've got to keep in mind that you're building an equation, and each effect is going to not only have a direct impact on the end result, it's going to have a direct impact on every effect that comes before it in the chain. Most of the time, you wouldn't want to apply distortion to a signal that has repeating echo on it. The end result could be chaotic and horrible to listen to as the transistors and clipping diodes react differently to this echoed signal. The other way around is more pleasing. But sometimes you want chaos, right?

Quote by rickmeister

Quick question... if you bypass the amp models and just add effects to the tone already on your amp which is on overdrive and save it, can you save another setting on the pedal which makes your amp completely clean? Basically you'd be treating your Boss GT8 like a footswitch that changes channels.Thanks.

You can have the GT-8 perform channel switching on your amplifier, but the switching is very limited. Basically, you're screwed if your amp has anything more than 2 channels. When I was planning on expanding my rig with a new amp, I was seriously looking at the Mesa Lonestar and I was planning the entire setup around the fact that I could build patches that would use the external switching feature on the Lone Star to switch between channel 1 and 2 on the amp. I never really used more than one block of patches on the GT-8, and for the most part I only had to use one or two patches because there are so many options in a given patch. So patch one could be your clean patch, and patch two your distortion patch because the amp channel is set to short on patch two.

It's like this. The GT-8 amp switch feature uses as standard mono 1/4" jack. There are two wires in a standard guitar cable. One channel relies on the logic that the relay in the amp will be in one state (we'll call this the "clean" state) while the tip and sleeve of that jack are not "touching" each other. The other channel relies on the logic that the relay will be in another state (the "dirty" state) when the tip and sleeve of that jack come into contact with each other, completing a circuit (or a broken circuit, depending on how the switching circuit on your amp works). That's all the switching circuit does on the GT-8...it connects and disconnects the ring/sleeve connection on a 1/4" mono plug.

I havea 2 channel valveking head, any idea if the gt8 will work with it to switch for me?

Great thread BTW i have been contemplating a gt8 for months and you have sealed the deal for me. its just what im looking for,. the amp models WILL remain off for prolly all its life in my possesion. How do I get this for 200 at guitar center......beg and cry poverty for a while and flash 200 cash?????

I havea 2 channel valveking head, any idea if the gt8 will work with it to switch for me?

Great thread BTW i have been contemplating a gt8 for months and you have sealed the deal for me. its just what im looking for,. the amp models WILL remain off for prolly all its life in my possesion. How do I get this for 200 at guitar center......beg and cry poverty for a while and flash 200 cash?????

Sadly, the switching function will not work without a little modification. Since the footswitch for that amp runs off of a dual logic connection (stereo, or TRS jack/plug) it won't work properly with the GT-8 switching function. What you can do, however, is build a cheap splitter. Get the following...

All you would have to do drill 3 holes in the plastic project box and mount the jacks inside. Now comes the wiring...

1. Wire the sleeve from the stereo jack to the sleeves of both mono jacks.2. Wire the tip of the stereo jack to the tip of one of the mono jacks.3. Wire the ring of the stereo jack to the tip of the other mono jack.

You have now split the wiring for the Valveking footswitch. You will have to experiment to find out which jack now controls the channel switching. After you figure that out, just run a mono 1/4" jumper cable from the splitter to the GT-8. You can make a footswitch for the boost function, or I can draw up a little schematic and a parts list for you to build it all within one box. It's pretty easy to do. This way you'll have full control over your channel switching from the GT-8, but you'll have to switch your boost on/off with a separate footswitch (if you even use the boost function...you might not have a need to after you get the GT-8).

If you do buy the GT-8, this option will work just fine for channel switching.

Quote by rainbow_rising

Yeah...i wish i could get it for 200 too!!! But no MISTER!!! Go break your back in a consturction yard all summer to give some stupid music-shop guy 400 euros!! Damn...

That sucks. You can still try and haggle though, or go used.

Quote by marvelboy_04

hey two string, how would you say this compares to the vox tonelab?i went to guitarcenter to try some pedals (podxt live,digitech and vox) and the vox won, but i didnt have time to try the boss

Didn't really like the Vox too much. If they moved up to better samples and made the preamp tube an actual functional item instead of a gimmick, it would be a better unit. It's good as is, but I still feel it's limited when compared to the GT-8. The one good thing it's got going for it is it's stupid simple to use without having to read the manual.

Not as such, no. You're talking about EQ curves, not true tonal response. I'm an advocate of digital technology and feel it has it's place in all music, but I for sure know that there is no such thing as "Line6 tone". Digital is a different beast. It allows you to create brand new, vastly different tones from scratch. With the GT-8, I could create completely different amplifier and effects sounds just by building my own custom models based on several parameters from other amp models. The options are nearly endless, but I would never call it "GT-8 tone" because it's something that's not unique to the GT-8. It's unique to the user, which is a better option any day. Back to the EQ curve concept...it would be a unique Line6 tone if that EQ curve couldn't be replicated anywhere else. Since that's not the case, I wouldn't call the Insane model a unique Line6 tone.

Just in case you misread me, I wan't laughing at you but rather your reaction to the guy you quoted.

Not sure what you are talking about though. Your post doesn't make sense to me. It sounds like you want Line 6 to make a guitar not to sound like a guitar. That's called a synth. Please define what you mean by tonal response. Not trying to pick a fight, I just really don't know what you mean.

Just in case you misread me, I wan't laughing at you but rather your reaction to the guy you quoted.

Not sure what you are talking about though. Your post doesn't make sense to me. It sounds like you want Line 6 to make a guitar not to sound like a guitar. That's called a synth. Please define what you mean by tonal response. Not trying to pick a fight, I just really don't know what you mean.

No harm no foul...I hate trying to communicate over forums and email because people just can't get a sense of your tone (angry, calm, etc).

The entire modeling world basically forces your guitar response into a preset EQ curve based upon the frequency response of whatever amplifier/effect that was modeled. Sometimes this can be a variable EQ curve or matrix (phase or chorus effects). While this can be considered "tone" depending on your definition, I don't see it as tone. It's hard to explain.

Modelers are tone calculators. They analize your incoming guitar signal and make note of the incoming frequency curves. After picking apart that frequency curve, it says "I'm going to have to bump up the 825Mhz range to make the incoming signal match the desired model and output effect" because the Marshall model you have turned on has a stronger output around that frequency and your incoming guitar signal does not have that range naturally, or at least on the note that you're feeding into it. The guitar produces the frequency, but not as strongly as others. The same goes for frequencies that the modeled amplifier doesn't produce as much. Say we're feeding a bass heavy signal into the modeler from a Les Paul. If you're trying to model a 5150, the modeler is going to shelf that low end a bit to make it fit the measured frequency curve from the 5150.

This is at least my understanding of the technology. I could be completely wrong, but in the modeling community, this is the common understanding of how the technology actually works.

Have you ever tried hooking up a Boss GT8 to one of those £20 tiny Marshall amps, I think they're called MT2 or something? Can you get a pretty respectable tone by doing this, as you have a really crap but a very good amp modelling pedal?

Have you ever tried hooking up a Boss GT8 to one of those £20 tiny Marshall amps, I think they're called MT2 or something? Can you get a pretty respectable tone by doing this, as you have a really crap but a very good amp modelling pedal?

The results would only be as good as the last piece of the chain. If the mini amp sounds like crap on it's own, anything through it will sound like crap. The same goes for anything else in an effects chain. You can have an RMC wah, Fulltone Fulldrive, and a TC Electronics chorus, but if the last pedal in the chain is a cheap plastic no name delay pedal that's poorly shielded and noisy, then the end result is going to be a signal that's noisy and buzzy and overall junk. See what I'm saying?

Even though the GT-8 can produce good tones, what you finally plug the unit into is going to have a very large effect on the sound you hear.

hey, two string, it sounds like ur pretty good with multi effects, so can u help me? right now i have a fender frontman 15 g which sounds like crap and i cant get a new amp until in one or two years, so i've been looking for a cheap multi effects unit to mess around with and also have good amp models so i can experiment with different amps and find out wat kinda amp i rly want lol. the problem is, i dont want a huge pedalboard-like multi effects unit like the gt8 or pod xt live, so i was kinda thinking i should get the pod xt. should i?

ok thnx ill look into it...also, 2 string, is it true that u can get a pod xt (i think im pretty set on this+a FBV foot controller, unless the digitec changes my mind)at guitar center for 200 dollars? cuz im gonna love u forever if it is..lol and one last thing, would it be possible to re wire my amp so that the speaker is connected directly to the pod xt and the actual amp?

(i know you asked 2 string about this) The Pod Xt, if combined with the Footswitch is FAR better than the Digi...But, i guess once again ill have to say the phrase you hear a bizillion times a day in UG..."Depends on your cash!!!!!" Where i come from,, The Digi is what? 180-200 bucks...The POd...around 300 + footswitch make it a rough 450-500 bucks.

It all depends on how good your haggle is. I've walked into Guitar Center on many occasion and said bluntly "I have $_______ in my pocket, I need ________, let's do it". That's how I know you can get them to come down. If you're a kid, they probably won't make the deal. If you have a parent go in and do the deal for you, you'll get it. Seriously, don't bring any more than $250 if you're going to buy a GT-8 or POD XTL. Bring cash money, no credit or debit card. They'll squeeze you for more if you've got a CC or DC. They'll honor the price because they've sold them for that price in the past as recent as the 4th of July sale ($200 advertised for the GT-8).

I can't stress that enough...haggle haggle haggle. If you need to, cheat.

To secure a low price on a Valve Jr., I called Guitar Center for a friend of mine and told them I was a guitar tech for a band that had driven in for a quick show and that their amps were in a truck that broke down and couldn't make the show. I told them I needed 4 Valve Jr. amps because both guitarists had their pedalboards in the van with them and ran stereo to a pair of Valve Juniors. I just sounded like I was panicked and said "these guys need 4 of these amps in the next 2 hours or we've got no show. I've already borrowed speaker cabs, but no one is willing to loan any amps". I told the guy that the band only had about $300. We made the deal over the phone. My friend walked into guitar center about an hour later and said he was there to pick up just one because they secured 3 more of the amps from other people and that he wanted the agreed upon price. He walked out with the amp for $75 flat, no tax.

If you haggle with these guys, they WILL come down, sometimes just a bit, sometimes a lot.

As far as the Frontman situation...a GT-8 or POD will not make the amp sound any better. It's possible to use it, but you have to understand that the end result will be limited by your amp. You can always save a little bit more money and buy a small, cheap keyboard amp. That will work wonders with the modeler. And no, there's no way to wire the modeler to your amp speaker, although if you've got a pair of powered computer speakers laying around, you can use that as a poor man's practice solution for now. Those speakers have the range to cover the output of the modeler just fine, although high volumes will sound horrible.

hey 2 string, ive been thinking, and basicall the thing is, the only reason id get a processor is because i have to start playing with one straight through the pa at my youth group.the thing is, im on a limited budget and that one guitarist that plays up there already has a gt-8, so i cant really get a gt-8 because1.i wouldnt want to get mine and the other guitarists mixed up2. i dont want to copy him, and 3. again, limited budget, so i was wondering what your thoughts on the boss gt-6 was?

Quote by Soma3009

I came up with this kick ass riff on my ukelele when I was 12. Find out two years later, it was smoke on the water. Got my hopes and dreams killed..

hey 2 string, ive been thinking, and basicall the thing is, the only reason id get a processor is because i have to start playing with one straight through the pa at my youth group.the thing is, im on a limited budget and that one guitarist that plays up there already has a gt-8, so i cant really get a gt-8 because1.i wouldnt want to get mine and the other guitarists mixed up2. i dont want to copy him, and 3. again, limited budget, so i was wondering what your thoughts on the boss gt-6 was?

For basic tones, the GT-6 is a great unit. I prefer having a certain amount of "freak out" available, which the GT-8 provides. If you're worried about getting your GT-8 mixed up with his GT-8, get some masking tape, stick it on the unit and write your name on it. Otherwise, I would get a silver paint marker and write my name on the bottom of the unit.

And you wouldn't be copying him. Gear isn't unique (how many people on the planet have Les Pauls? Are they just copying Les Paul himself?). There isn't a rule in music that says once someone has claimed a certain piece of gear, no one else is allowed to have it. Save up a little money, haggle haggle haggle and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

if i were to get thw gt-6, what are the main differences between it and the gt-8?

The GT-8 adds auto wah, tone modify, sitar simulator, octave, rotary speaker sim, sound hold and a sub delay feature. It also adds a second effects processor engine to process two preamp sims at the same time. This second effects also processes all of the right side stereo effects when they are in use. The GT-8 also allows for two channels per patch, which gives you the ability to change from clean to overdrive without changing patches. There are far more amp and effects models to choose from. The GT-8 preamps add a solo feature, and you have a footswitchable effects loop as well. The GT-8 is also a prime choice since the compressor is no longer taking up one of your effects blocks. The GT-8 also has the ability to switch amp channels (only one) with your patch changes. These are just the few I can think about right now, but these are the main reasons to go with a GT-8 over a GT-6. The main selling point for me to go with the GT-8 was the amp channel switching, external loop function and true stereo processing.

do other processors come with an effects loop? and thanks for all the answers. i still am kind of leaning towards the vox though, due to the fact i have a valvetronix amp, and it seems easy to use.

The Vox has an "insert" loop, but just like the effects routing features, you're going to be limited on how you can use the insert loop. You can't move effects around in the Vox as well as you can in the GT-8. The POD XTL does not have an external effects loop.

You mentioned installing the GT-8 in a loop bypass? I'm not sure what that is. Is the processor itself true bypass? What I am basically getting at is if this processors sucks tone or adds feedback. I am considering buying a bad horsie wah 2 and an ISP Decimator. However, if the GT-8 can do both these things as well.....it would be the cheaper option. Somehow I just think these single effects will produce less feedback and suck less tone. But I don't know.

^Okay, I'll start by saying this. There is this myth about tone suck. "Don't do this, it will suck your tone." What is your tone? I think that is the more important question. What is your tone goal? What sound are you trying to achieve? Adding a device that serves that end goal, despite whatever "tone suck" someone perceives in it, is more important than avoiding the dreaded "tone suck". If you don't know what your tone is, then how do you know you're having is "sucked" away? Case in point, John Petrucci. The man uses a ton of digital effects processor. Would you say he has horrible tone? Granted, he has bypass switchers that remove some of them from the chain when they're not enabled, but when they are engaged, does his tone get worse? No, it's still as crisp and perfect as it was without the unit, and his rig is about as far as you can get from true bypass.

The only reason I can find that anyone would perceive the GT-8 to have tone suck is that they don't know how to set it up properly. I thought the same thing of the unit whenever I switched from my Fender to the new Mesa. After resetting the unit to factory state and starting from scratch with everything, I was able to dial in the unit and make it completely transparent. I've told this story many times, but I tested this theory with the GT-8 and Mesa. I connected the GT-8 in the effects loop of the Mesa (Mesa effects send into the GT-8 effects return, and the GT-8 left output back into the Mesa effects return. I did this because the data converters are different on the normal input stage than they are at the effects return stage).

After dialing in basic levels with all of the effects off on the unit, I was able to engage and disengage the Mesa effects loop. Surprise surprise, no difference in tone. Even with the signal going through the digital converters on the GT-8, there was no difference in my volume level or tone. That's when you know you're in the right place. Once you're there, start setting up ONE EFFECT AT A TIME. Check and recheck your levels as well as the level meters on the GT-8 to make sure you're not pegging the meter any higher than 70%. ALL DIGITAL EFFECTS UNITS HAVE TO BE SET UP LIKE THIS!!!! I cannot stress that enough. The TC Electronic G-Force is not immune to this...yes, you can make a $1500 rack processor sound like crap if you don't know how to set it up.

I guess the point I'm trying to get at is this...if you don't know what you're doing, yes, the unit will "suck" you tone, but it's not the fault of the unit. The problem exists within the end user.

As far as your concerns over feedback, it depends on what you mean by feedback. The GT-8 has the ability to act as an amplification stage. This is no different than a signal booster, distortion or overdrive pedal. If you are not working with the concept of unity gain (where all gain stages have neutral signal amplification, I.E. no gain over a certain threshold) then the rig will produce a lot of feedback. That is why you need to keep all of your levels down below that 70% mark on the meter. Once you get to your amp, you can boost your levels, but if you're sending out to the GT-8 again via 4 cable method, you will need to dial it all back down again before you hit the GT-8 so you don't overload the data converters.

It is a lot to keep in mind, but it is quite easy to acomplish once you understand the concept. I have learned that this idea also applies to analog pedals as well. You can get sweeter tones by not slamming them with hotter input levels. A low level, low impedence signal will sound better than a high level, high impedence signal. That's my opinion and despite at how this entire post is worded, it is not fact. This is just how I see it and how it works for me.

About the Morley wah...I hated it. I found no usable sounds with it and ended up using the wah on the GT-8 for everything. Once you get into building your own effects and using the settings on the GT-8, you'll probably find that the GT-8 has far more range than the Morley. Same thing goes for the noise gate. The GT-8 has a pretty decent noise gate built in, but you have to take the time to understand it and set it up properly, which means knowing how the noise gate works and what a decent threshold and release setting is.

Just wondering if a Peavey Classic 30 would go well with the GT-8, (if anyone knows, I'd appreciate it!). I like the sound of the amp, but I want some more higher gain tones, would this help a lot? I was also looking for a wah, so would the wah here be a good one? (As opposed to a Dunlop single pedal, for example,). Thanks in advance.